Reinforced concrete floor structure



W. H. SMITH REINFORCED CONCRETE FLOOR STRUCTURE July 8,1941.

Filed Nov. 28. 1938 Y M71161): 11. 5mm by if Aft/peg Patented July 8, 1941 E ATENT OFFICE REINFGRCED CONCRETE FLOOR STRUCTURE William Herbert Smith, East Molesey, England 6 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to that type of floor, ceiling or roof construction, (hereinafter called floorconstruction) in which pre-formed blocks or tiles are employed, and are spaced apart in rows so that supporting beams of reinforced concrete cast in situ can be formed in the spaces between the blocks; concrete is usually simultaneously cast above the blocks thus resulting in a compound T-form of reinforced concrete floor with blocks between the ribs.

In this type of floor the blocks are relatively small, for instance 18 inches long and 9 inches broad, and can easily be handled by the men laying them; this type of floor is to be distinguished from a type in which hollow reinforced concrete filling beams are employed, these beams being of considerable length and capable of spanning from one support such as a beam or wall to the next.

In order to give transverse rigidity tothe construction, it is desirable to provide reinforcements running transversely to the main beams, and for this purpose blocks have been spaced apart in two directions at right angles often by the provision of lips or flanges at the bottom on three sides, the remaining side being plane, without projections, The arrangement is such that when the blocks are assembled in pairs with plane sides in contact spaces are left longitudinally and transversely between the ends and sides of contiguous pairs into which reinforcement can be placed and concrete cast around it.

Another proposal for providing this condition has been to provide blocks with projecting lower lips on four sides.

In the form of construction most commonly used for floors of the type of the present invention the blocks have projections on two opposite sides but are plane on the other two sides, so that no provision is made for transverse reinforcement when the blocks are assembled with their plane faces in contact.

The object of the present invention is to provide a floor construction of the type referred to, in which the transverse reinforcement is provided only at a relatively few places, preferably in the neighborhood of the centre of the span, the remaining blocks being in close contact in one direction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a few (say two or three) transverse reinforced concrete beams right across the breadth of the floor near to the centre of the span by providing block having flanges on three sides so that a space is left round three sides of the blocks, the fourth side which is plane being placed in contact with an adjacent block in the longitudinal direction. Over the remainder of the area blocks having flanges on two sides only are used so that spaces between the blocks are provided to form channels therebetween in the longitudinal direction only.

The transverse reinforcement which adds very considerably to the strength of this type of floor is most effective in the neighborhood of the centre of the span and by my improved construction I provide for transverse reinforcement and at the same time I only have to use a relatively small number of the more expensive blocks.

The invention is equally applicable to blocks which are provided with cavities and to solid blocks which can now be economicallymade of concrete. employing light-weight aggregates or other light plastic material which can be moulded.

Although I have described certain surfaces of these blocks as being plane, I refer only to their lack of projecting lips or flanges at the lower edges, They are, in fact, preferably provided at the top of one or both of the sides which come into contact with rebated portions so that, when the blocks are in contact, grooves are left into which fine concrete or grout can be poured to provide the requisite surface for transmission of the compressive stresses at the upper portion of the floor. This is a matter of considerable importance in the practical construction of floors of this'kind.

In the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which illustrates the invention.

Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view showing the span of'one form of floor construction according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken away, of the finished floor, showing a modified arrangement of blocks,

Fig. 3'is a section taken through the interior of the blocks at right angles to Fig. 1 on the line 3-3 thereof,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Like reference numerals and letters refer to similar parts in the several figures of the draw- Referring to the drawing, in the floor construction shown preformed hollow blocks of the two kinds are employed. At the ends and the middle of the span blind-cavity blocks A are provided. These each have a projecting flange 5 at the base of the closed end which lies opposite to the open end, and projecting flanges 6 at the base of the other two closed sides. The open side 1 is plane.

In between the end blocks and central blocks A are through-cavity blocks 13. These are plane on their open sides 8 and have projecting flanges 9, similar to those of the blocks A, on their closed sides.

The projecting flanges 6 and 9 on the closed sides of the blocks A and B serve to define a. space between each longitudinal row of blocks into which longitudinal reinforcing rods i I are laid. The spaces are filled with concrete to form longitudinal reinforced concrete beams 10, one between each row of blocks.

In the construction shown in Fig; 1 four blind cavity blocks A, numbered I, 2, 3 and 4 are provided at the centre of the span. Thctwomiddle blocks l and 2 are arranged face to face with transverse reinforced concrete in-situ beams l2, the concrete beingshown extended-above the tops of the blocks A'and B to form a flooring M.

The upper ends of the open sides land 8 of the blocks A and B- are provided with shallow rebates l5 so that when the blocks are placed together with'open' sides abutting, grooves l6 are formed which are filled with grout or concrete. The rest of the sides are in contact Withone another, so that no transverse-beam is formed.

The blind-cavity blocks A may be formed with recesses H at the upper edges of the-blind corners to form a seating for pieces of tile-orlike memberson'which the upper transverse reinforcing rods I3 may rest.

All the blocks A and B are shown provided with i twoupper substantially triangular recesses l8 and two lower substantially'triangular recesses I9.

The construction shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that three transverse reinforced concrete beams I2 are provided irrstead of the two shown in Fig; 1. The provision of three beams l2 necessitates the use of an extra pair of blocks l2 in'each longitudinal row.

A floor finish, comprising battens l9 and floor boards 29, is shown in Figure 2.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the exact details'described but that it'includes suchappropriate equivalents, omissions or substitutions-as come within the spirit of the invention.

Also, whilst various details'have been'identified by specific names for convenience, they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

I claim:

1. A "reinforced concrete floor structure comprising preformed blocks provided withcavities therein and arranged in spaced rows, each comprising a plurality of blocks and'extending in the longitudinal direction, projections on the sides of said blocks 'servingto space'the longitudinal rows apart from'one another; the'majorityof the iblocks of' each row being in contact with adjacent blocks of the same row over substantially their full height but those near the center of the span being provided with projections on a side lying transversely to the length of the row so as to provide a few transversely extending spaces between the blocks near the center of the span, and in-situ reinforced blocks formed in the longitudinally and transversely extending spaces between the blocks.

2. A reinforced concrete fioor structure comprising in combination preformed blocks with cavities therein, arranged in spaced rows extending in the longitudinal direction, in-situ concrete supporting beams cast in the spaces between the rows, each row being composed of a plurality of separate blocks the majority of which have cavities passing right through them but including some blocks having blind cavities arranged so that two blind ends face one another and leave a transversely extending space therebetween, and reinforced concrete distributing beams cast in each transverse space between the blocks.

3. A reinforced concrete floorstructure comprising-in combination: spaced rows of preformed blocks each comprising a plurality of blocks of generally rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction of said floor structure, projections onthe sides of said-blocks serving to space said rows apart, said blocks positioned at the centerof the span of said rows havingin addition projections serving to space-them apart from adjacent blocks-in the same'row, the remaining blocks in-=said--rowsbeing in contact with adjacentblocks thereof over substantially their whole height, reinforced concrete supporting beams cast between said-spaced longitudinal rows of blocks, and. reinforced concrete distributing beams castin' the spaces between saidcenter blocks;

4. A reinforced concrete floor structure comprising in combination preformed blocks with cavities therein arranged in spaced rows extending in the longitudinal direction, in-situ concrete supporting beams cast inthe spaces between therowseach rowbeing composed of a plurality of blocks the majority of which have'cavities passing right through them and are. in contact with adjacent blocks of the same row, so that the cavities abut, but'in'cluding in the neighbor hood. of the center of the span: at least two blindcavity blocks-arranged with their closed sides spaced from an adjacent block, saidcavities'of each block comprising-twocavities of-generally triangularshape near :the base of the block and two-smaller cavities of generally triangular shape in the upper part of said block towards the sides, and transversereinforced concrete distributing beams cast in .sitrrirrthe spaces adjacent the closed sides of said blindecavity blocks.

5." Arein-forced concrete floor structure comprising preformed blocks havingfl'anges at the bottoms thereof and arrangedin: rows extending in the longitudinal direction ofthe floor with the projecting flanges spacing the longitudinal rows-one from. the other, the blocks of each row near the center of the-span: only havingfianges at right angles to .1 the first mentioned fl'anges to thereby space said -central blocks apart to provide transverselyextending spaces therebetween, and longitudinal and transverse beams ofreinforced-in-situ concrete: formed in the spaces between the blocks.-

6; A reinforced concrete floor I structure comprising preformed blocks having projecting flanges along their-sidesat the bottom thereof, said blocks-being-arranged in longitudinal rows spaces between said blocks with blind cavities, longitudinally reinforced concrete beams cast in the spaces between adjacent rows of blocks, and transverse reinforced concrete beams cast in the cavities between the adjacent faces of the blindcavity blocks in each row.

WILLIANI HERBERT SMITH. 

